I live in Virginia and would like to acknowledge that there have been centuries of colonialism here which annihilated many local Indigenous communities and perpetuated the brutal system of African American enslavement.  I recognize and thank the tribes and nations who have stewarded this land for millennia including the Cheroenhaka (Nottoway), Chickahominy, Chickahominy Eastern Division, Mattaponi, Monacan, Nansemond, Nottoway, Pamunkey, Patawomeck, Rappahannock, and Upper Mattaponi.

In honor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, observed today by the U.S. federal government, at least 14 U.S. states, and many other local jurisdictions, I’d like to share a four minute film by a young Indigenous videographer, Andrew Stewart (ProRez Studios) on the 2021 Nisga’a Salmon Science Camp, led by Dr. Andrea Reid (Indigenous fisheries scientist, University of British Columbia Assistant Professor, and Nisga’a Nation member) and John-Francis Lane (Conservationist and Outdoor Educator) in partnership with the local government, school, and community members in the Nisga’a Village of Gingolx.  Acknowledging that colonial legacies in the education system have often disconnected Indigenous youths from their cultural landscapes, this camp aims to ignite a passion for the natural world with a “Two-Eyed Seeing” approach.  The camp engages youth ranging from 7-17 in a series of science-based and Indigenous Knowledge-based activities, games, and teachings.  Check it out!